Many are called few are chosen...

by Pastor Bill Campbell

August 12, 2007

Dear friends,

God has strongly put this message on my heart for the body of Christ.

"Many are called few are chosen "-- Jesus

One of the signs of the End Times is that many will be deceived into following a false Christ. How could this happen? It will happen the same way as it happened to Jesus. The Jews were looking for a messiah that would fit into their belief system. They wanted freedom from Rome while at the same time maintaining and not interfering with the status quo of their political religious structure of the day. When a different messiah came on the scene they followed him, and the destruction of the Jerusalem temple took place soon after. We do the same thing today with the words of Jesus. We interpret the Bible to fit into the comfort of our lives. We have stopped the process of the grain of wheat. This seed has to fall into the earth and die in order to fulfill its destiny.

We have lost our ability to lose our lives for the purposes of God. When Jesus said to his disciples to take up their cross and follow Him, we say it was a figurative cross but in the context this word was written in it was a real cross that led to a literal death. But who wants to die? We all seek to preserve our life.

Paul was giving honor to a man called Epaphroditus in Philippians chapter two.

Philippians 2:25-30

²⁵But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs.
²⁶For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill.
²⁷Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow.
²⁸Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety.
²⁹Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him,
³⁰because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me.

This man became sick while serving Jesus, through Paul. Today Epaphroditus would have been reprimanded for not taking better care of his health. Paul doesn?t ignore the seriousness of this man's condition, but says that what he did was honorable because he put his life on the line for the work of Christ. Had he died I doubt Paul would have said, "What a waste of life." Can you imagine today if a man would work so hard, run so long, give so much, that it literally cost his life? Everyone would shake their head and say he could have lived longer if he had just slowed down. God has called some men to die for the sake of the Gospel. Where are these men today? Where are the disciples who take up the cross of death and suffering? Allah has them, Buda has them, the Hindus have them, but does Christ?

Paul had one thing that he was striving for.

Philippians 3:10-12

¹⁰I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,

¹¹and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
¹²Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

Paul knew he was called to lay his life down for Jesus his King, Savior, Friend, and Love. There is a love that is so powerful that it can only be expressed by a life poured out even unto death.

John 15:13 (NIV)

¹³Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends.

Please do not spiritualize this verse and say Jesus really did not mean what he said.

I want to have this greater love that Jesus spoke about. Not just in theory but as a pursuit of my heart. Do I have that kind of love?

When I was a young man, I spent a summer serving missionaries in Jamaica. One day we took the new converts to the ocean for a baptismal service. After the service, some of the youth were playing in the water. They were oblivious to the strong undertow below the friendly waves. As they ventured deeper and deeper, suddenly three of them were over their heads, unable to swim, and crying out for help. I swam out and rescued the smallest boy. Fighting against the fierce waves with all my strength, I swam back out and reached the second young man. I was able to return him to the safety of the beach. Now I was completely exhausted but due to the urgency of the situation, I swam after the third victim. He was the largest of the boys. By the time I reached him, terrorizing fear had gripped him and he had lost control of his ability to reason. When he saw me, he grabbed me around the neck, started choking me, and pulling us both under. Though this whole thing took just a few minuets it seemed like hours as I remember everything.

I pushed him off several times to catch my breath. My plan was to get him from behind, and pull him into safety. When I reached for him, he was gone?forever. I tried to find him but I could not see his body anywhere. This event has played in my mind countless times. I wondered if it had been my little brother or my son would I have tried harder. Would I risk my live again to save someone in the ocean?

Well, this spring, thirty years later I was put to the test again and had to be part of a very dramatic rescue in the ocean. My question was answered once and for all. Yes, I would lay my life down for someone again. This time though through teamwork the teens were saved. The point is this; Jesus has called for the chosen to give their lives to him in life then also in death, in health and sickness, in comfort and suffering. Where are these men and women? Am I one? I have made up my mind and heart to identify with Christ in the way of the disciples, Paul, and unnumbered martyrs that have gone before me. Am I careless or reckless? No. But fear of sickness, suffering, or death will not influence my choices. I am praying that as I run this race, my life will be poured out like a drink offering unto the Lord for those who are coming into the Kingdom of God.

I am sorry if this offends you, but many are offended by the cross of Jesus. Peter was offended and was rebuked as one having ?the mind of men.? Paul faced opposition that brought him to tears. Not because of his own suffering but by the attitude of those who bore the name of Christian,

Philippians 3:18

¹⁸For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.
¹⁹Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.

What is our mind focusing on? Do we try to preserve our lives or are we preparing to lay down our lives for Jesus. I have made up my mind; have you? I am not being arrogant, but I am speaking to you from the sincerity and depths of my heart. Please, I am only asking that if you are called to the same cross that many New Testament believers were called to, run with me. Let me know we are on the same course. I will pray for you as Paul prayed for his friends. I need you to pray for me also. Let's join hands and hearts as we step into our destinies.

He is worthy,

Pastor Bill Campbell




Many are called few are chosen... by Pastor Bill Campbell August 12, 2007 Dear friends, God has strongly put this message on my heart for the body of Christ. "Many are called few are chosen "-- Jesus One of the signs of the End Times is that many will be deceived into following a false Christ. How could this happen? It will happen the same way as it happened to Jesus. The Jews were looking for a messiah that would fit into their belief system. They wanted freedom from Rome while at the same time maintaining and not interfering with the status quo of their political religious structure of the day. When a different messiah came on the scene they followed him, and the destruction of the Jerusalem temple took place soon after. We do the same thing today with the words of Jesus. We interpret the Bible to fit into the comfort of our lives. We have stopped the process of the grain of wheat. This seed has to fall into the earth and die in order to fulfill its destiny. We have lost our ability to lose our lives for the purposes of God. When Jesus said to his disciples to take up their cross and follow Him, we say it was a figurative cross but in the context this word was written in it was a real cross that led to a literal death. But who wants to die? We all seek to preserve our life. Paul was giving honor to a man called Epaphroditus in Philippians chapter two. Philippians 2:25-30 ²⁵But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. ²⁶For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. ²⁷Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. ²⁸Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. ²⁹Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him, ³⁰because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me. This man became sick while serving Jesus, through Paul. Today Epaphroditus would have been reprimanded for not taking better care of his health. Paul doesn?t ignore the seriousness of this man's condition, but says that what he did was honorable because he put his life on the line for the work of Christ. Had he died I doubt Paul would have said, "What a waste of life." Can you imagine today if a man would work so hard, run so long, give so much, that it literally cost his life? Everyone would shake their head and say he could have lived longer if he had just slowed down. God has called some men to die for the sake of the Gospel. Where are these men today? Where are the disciples who take up the cross of death and suffering? Allah has them, Buda has them, the Hindus have them, but does Christ? Paul had one thing that he was striving for. Philippians 3:10-12 ¹⁰I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. ¹²Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Paul knew he was called to lay his life down for Jesus his King, Savior, Friend, and Love. There is a love that is so powerful that it can only be expressed by a life poured out even unto death. John 15:13 (NIV) ¹³Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends. Please do not spiritualize this verse and say Jesus really did not mean what he said. I want to have this greater love that Jesus spoke about. Not just in theory but as a pursuit of my heart. Do I have that kind of love? When I was a young man, I spent a summer serving missionaries in Jamaica. One day we took the new converts to the ocean for a baptismal service. After the service, some of the youth were playing in the water. They were oblivious to the strong undertow below the friendly waves. As they ventured deeper and deeper, suddenly three of them were over their heads, unable to swim, and crying out for help. I swam out and rescued the smallest boy. Fighting against the fierce waves with all my strength, I swam back out and reached the second young man. I was able to return him to the safety of the beach. Now I was completely exhausted but due to the urgency of the situation, I swam after the third victim. He was the largest of the boys. By the time I reached him, terrorizing fear had gripped him and he had lost control of his ability to reason. When he saw me, he grabbed me around the neck, started choking me, and pulling us both under. Though this whole thing took just a few minuets it seemed like hours as I remember everything. I pushed him off several times to catch my breath. My plan was to get him from behind, and pull him into safety. When I reached for him, he was gone?forever. I tried to find him but I could not see his body anywhere. This event has played in my mind countless times. I wondered if it had been my little brother or my son would I have tried harder. Would I risk my live again to save someone in the ocean? Well, this spring, thirty years later I was put to the test again and had to be part of a very dramatic rescue in the ocean. My question was answered once and for all. Yes, I would lay my life down for someone again. This time though through teamwork the teens were saved. The point is this; Jesus has called for the chosen to give their lives to him in life then also in death, in health and sickness, in comfort and suffering. Where are these men and women? Am I one? I have made up my mind and heart to identify with Christ in the way of the disciples, Paul, and unnumbered martyrs that have gone before me. Am I careless or reckless? No. But fear of sickness, suffering, or death will not influence my choices. I am praying that as I run this race, my life will be poured out like a drink offering unto the Lord for those who are coming into the Kingdom of God. I am sorry if this offends you, but many are offended by the cross of Jesus. Peter was offended and was rebuked as one having ?the mind of men.? Paul faced opposition that brought him to tears. Not because of his own suffering but by the attitude of those who bore the name of Christian, Philippians 3:18 ¹⁸For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. What is our mind focusing on? Do we try to preserve our lives or are we preparing to lay down our lives for Jesus. I have made up my mind; have you? I am not being arrogant, but I am speaking to you from the sincerity and depths of my heart. Please, I am only asking that if you are called to the same cross that many New Testament believers were called to, run with me. Let me know we are on the same course. I will pray for you as Paul prayed for his friends. I need you to pray for me also. Let's join hands and hearts as we step into our destinies. He is worthy, Pastor Bill Campbell
Login \| Blogs \| Donate \| Terms of Service \| Privacy Statement \| Home